Episode Summary

In "Reborn" Episode 5, Qiao Qingyu confronts her school bullies and is unexpectedly defended by Ming Sheng, leading to a shift in their relationship. At home, she and her brother, Jinyu, conspire to uncover family secrets by tricking their mother, discovering documents about high medical bills and money from their cousin. A crisis arises when their mother finds the phone Qingyu borrowed from Ming Sheng, but it's resolved when his friend Mumu claims ownership.

Spoiler Alert

Reborn Episode 5 Recap & Spoilers: Counterattack and Reconciliation

This episode throws Qiao Qingyu into the heart of conflict both at school and within her fractured family. As she bravely confronts her bullies, her relationship with the enigmatic Ming Sheng deepens, clearing up old misunderstandings. At home, a secret mission with her younger brother, Jinyu, sees them unite against their mother's oppressive control. However, a borrowed cell phone becomes the catalyst for a new crisis, which is only resolved through the quick thinking of friends. The episode pushes relationships forward, focusing on themes of personal growth, justice, and reconciliation.

Key Moments from the Episode

  • Fighting Back: Qiao Qingyu turns the tables on her bullies, stuffing their trash right back into the ringleader's backpack.
  • An Unlikely Protector: Ming Sheng delivers his own brand of justice, punishing the bullies and warning them to leave Qingyu alone.
  • Sibling Conspiracy: Qingyu and her brother Jinyu orchestrate a clever ruse to trick their mother, allowing them to photograph the contents of a locked drawer.
  • A Budding Romance: After lending Qingyu his phone, a flustered Ming Sheng inadvertently reveals his growing feelings for her.
  • Crisis Averted: When Qingyu's mother discovers the phone, Ming Sheng masterfully diffuses the situation with a little help from his friend.

Full Recap

A Brother's Fear

The episode opens with Jinyu, who is terrified after having stolen their mother's drawer key. He's convinced he'll receive a severe beating if discovered. His older sister, Qiao Qingyu, finds him in a state of anxiety and reassures him, promising that if their plan goes wrong, she will take full responsibility and ensure he isn't implicated.

Standing Up to Bullies

Back at school, Qingyu returns to her classroom to find a group of boys stuffing trash into her backpack. Instead of backing down, she immediately retaliates, grabbing the garbage and shoving it into Ming Sheng's bag, who appears to be the leader of the clique. She later confides in her deskmate, Mumu, admitting that while she fears retaliation, she's more afraid of what will happen if she continues to endure the bullying in silence. Mumu offers a different perspective on Ming Sheng, describing him as "cold on the outside, but warm on the inside" and a person with a strong sense of justice, suggesting Qingyu might have misjudged him.

An Unlikely Champion

Mumu's assessment proves correct. Ming Sheng isn't angry with Qingyu. Instead, he confronts the boys who bullied her, forcing them to clean out her bag and warning them to never bother her again. To drive the point home, he makes them perform frog jumps across the school grounds while carrying a heavy pot as a sign of their apology. Witnessing this, Qingyu feels a sense of relief and vindication. That evening, she carefully washes the shoes Ming Sheng had previously lent her and returns them.

A Borrowed Phone and a Budding Crush

Sneaking into class late, Ming Sheng discovers the freshly cleaned shoes in his desk and can't help but smile. Later, Qingyu asks to borrow his phone, and he agrees without hesitation. However, when she asks for the letter of hers that he took, he lies, claiming he has to look for it at home.

After school, Ming Sheng runs into his childhood friend, Mumu, and poses a hypothetical question: why would a boy not return something he took from a girl? Mumu casually replies that it's probably because he likes her. The comment hits its mark, and Ming Sheng blushes beet red, leaving Mumu completely baffled by his intense reaction.

The Sibling Conspiracy

Qingyu gives the borrowed phone to Jinyu, and the two put a plan into motion. Jinyu tells their mother that the school needs the family's household registration book for his student records. As their mother unlocks and opens the drawer to retrieve it, Qingyu creates a diversion by "accidentally" burning her arm. In that brief moment of distraction, Jinyu successfully photographs the drawer's contents with the phone.

Later that night, they review the pictures and make a startling discovery: documents detailing the massive medical expenses for someone named Bei Yu, and records of their cousin, Jing Rui, sending money every month. Jinyu explains that their cousin has always been kind to them, but Qingyu is left with more questions than answers.

The Phone Incident

The fragile peace is shattered when their mother finds Qingyu with the cell phone. Panicked, she demands to know where it came from. Wary of her mother's paranoia about her interacting with boys, Qingyu lies and says she found it at the library. Unconvinced, her mother drags her to school with the intent of turning the phone over to her head teacher.

Word of the situation reaches Ming Sheng, who immediately asks Mumu for help. Mumu intercepts them and tells the teacher that the phone is hers and she had lost it. Seeing that the phone belongs to a female classmate, Qingyu's mother finally relaxes, and the crisis is skillfully averted.